CALL FROM MARYAM NAMAZIE

Date: 11 Sep 2010

Comment

Join September days of action against stoning, execution and flogging in Iran
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Hello/////////
Since I last wrote to you Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani has again been flogged 99 times for an unveiled photo mistakenly attributed to her (http://stopstonningnow.com/wpress/3628 She has also been threatened with execution, and denied visitation rights. Even, her lawyer’s home (Hatoun Kian) has been ransacked and his computer and documents seized. Court documents pertaining to Ms Ashtiani’s husband’s closed murder case have also gone missing (http://stopstonningnow.com/wpress/3543
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Her 22-year-old son Sajjad is extremely concerned that the Iranian authorities are trying to frame Ms Ashtiani for his father’s murder by constructing a ‘new’ murder case to refute the stoning sentence. Unfortunately a number of media outlets have bought into the lie (see for example BBC Sunday Morning Live’s bias here: http://iransolidarity.blogspot.com/2010/09/open-letter-to-bbc-sunday-live-on-its.html In fact, the press have been given a copy of the actual court judgment of stoning for adultery at a 30 July press conference in London (http://www.iransolidarity.org.uk/act_now.html Also, even the man who has been found guilty of murdering her husband has not been executed. In Iran, under Diyeh laws, the family of the victim can ask for the death penalty to be revoked. Ms Ashtiani’s son explains why he and his 17 year old sister spared the man’s life in an interview with French writer and philosopher, Bernard-Henri Levy: http://stopstonningnow.com/wpress/3618
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Despite all the regime’s outrages against Ms Ashtiani, her lawyers and family, on 8 September, a government official had the audacity to deceivingly claim that Ms Ashtiani had not been denied visitation rights, that her televised confession was not made under duress, and that she had not been flogged again. He also went on to say that her execution had been halted when no official documents halting her stoning or execution have been given to her lawyer or family (http://stopstonningnow.com/wpress/3673).////////////
Clearly this is yet another one of the regime’s ploys to push back the international campaign in her defence by giving the false impression that Ms Ashtiani is safe.
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Nothing could be further from the truth.
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On 18 September, we call on citizens everywhere to come out in defence of Ms Ashtiani and against the regime of flogging, stoning and execution. We are also calling for protests during 23-24 September when Ahmadinejad will be addressing the UN General Assembly.
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Nothing can and will stop us from defending Sakineh’s precious life and bringing an end to the medieval and barbaric punishments of stoning and execution.
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Let’s keep the pressure on.
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We look forward to receiving news of your actions and events at actionforsakineh@gmail.com.
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Warmest wishes
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Maryam
Maryam Namazie
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